Flandreau Medicaid COVID-19 claims exceed $3,500 in 2024, data shows

At least $3,595 in Medicaid payments were made in Flandreau in 2024 for services billed under HCPCS codes tied specifically to COVID-19, data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database shows. That amount marked an 83.2% increase versus 2023, when providers filed $1,962 in claims for those codes.

Medicaid is a public insurance plan managed by the states but funded in partnership by federal and state governments. It provides coverage for low-income residents, families, seniors, children, and people with disabilities, making up one of the largest sections of the U.S. health system.

As a taxpayer-funded program, Medicaid payment trends reflect how public health care dollars are utilized in local communities.

In this analysis, services related to COVID-19 were identified using HCPCS codes referred to as “COVID-19” or “coronavirus” in billing descriptions or reference materials. Therefore, the numbers only capture services directly identified as COVID-related in the billing data and do not include care associated with the pandemic that may be coded differently for insurance purposes.

For context, Sioux Falls had the highest Medicaid payment total connected to COVID-19 services in South Dakota in 2024, reporting $74,324 in virus-related claims.

The data indicates Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe was the sole provider submitting Medicaid claims for COVID-19–related services in the city in 2024.

Specific services for COVID-19 contributed to measurable increases in Medicaid spending in Flandreau during pandemic years.

Between 2021 and 2024, Medicaid payments across non-COVID-related claim categories jumped by $1,076,499, a 283.2% rise.

During the two years before the pandemic, annual average Medicaid payments in Flandreau were $100,393.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, total Medicaid spending between federal and state sources reached about $871.7 billion in fiscal year 2023. This represented approximately 18% of all national health expenditures, up from around $613.5 billion in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

This rise marks an increase of roughly 40% within a few years, driven by expanded enrollment and greater utilization during and following the pandemic period.

Recent federal budget laws signed under the Trump administration have set forth substantial moves to cut federal Medicaid contributions and shift the program’s structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” approved in 2025, is expected to decrease federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the coming decade and establish policies including work requirements and expanded cost-sharing for beneficiaries. These changes are projected to shift additional financial responsibility to states and place new limits on federal funding, as Medicaid continues serving tens of millions nationwide.

Note: Includes HCPCS codes explicitly labeled for COVID-19 services; totals do not represent all pandemic-related health care spending.

Information for this report is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The original source data is available here.